Islamabad Sights: Monument, Museums and Hills

Advisory as of 31 October 2026. Washington rates Pakistan Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) in its 16 June 2026 update and tells travellers to avoid or reconsider trips to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. London’s Foreign Office, in advice revised on 27 October 2026, leaves Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree and Taxila off its warning lists, yet it warns against all or all but essential travel to a long list of areas elsewhere, among them parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The capital has had major attacks, including the November 2025 court bombing and the 6 February 2026 blast at a Shia mosque in Tarlai, on the city’s edge. Check the US State Department page and the Foreign Office page before booking anything. Plan for police checkpoints, road closures during protests and phone-network cuts, keep away from rallies, and keep your original passport on you.

Sights by area

  • Shakarparian hill: the Pakistan Monument, the Pakistan Monument Museum and the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum.
  • Margalla Hills: Daman-e-Koh and Saidpur Village.
  • Elsewhere in the area: Faisal Mosque and the Golra Sharif Railway Museum.

The Pakistan Monument

It opened in 2007 with four large petals for the provinces and three smaller ones. The museum beside it tells the story of the Pakistan Movement and independence, with corners for Jinnah and Iqbal. Hours are 10:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Sunday. Prices: foreign adults about PKR 2,000, ECO and SAARC delegates PKR 600, local adults PKR 200, students PKR 100, and under-7s free. See the museum page .

Lok Virsa Heritage Museum

Also on Shakarparian, near Garden Avenue, it charges foreign adults about PKR 2,000 and locals PKR 200. It shuts on Mondays. Confirm the price on the Lok Virsa listing .

Faisal Mosque

The mosque was designed by Vedat Dalokay, opened in 1986 and was funded by Saudi Arabia. It is tent-shaped, with four minarets about 90 m tall. Entry is free. Cover your shoulders and arms, women wear a headscarf and men long trousers, and leave your shoes at the door. Visitors who are not Muslim are welcome outside prayer times, but the main prayer hall is closed to them and Friday prayer is best avoided. Take photos in the courtyard, not the hall. Check the opening times on the day. It is a working place of worship, so keep your voice low.

Daman-e-Koh and Saidpur

Daman-e-Koh is a free lookout, with food-snatching macaques. Saidpur is a village restored by the CDA, whose empty temple has a restaurant on part of its apron.

Golra Sharif Railway Museum

Doors open at about 09:00, closing about 16:00, or 13:00 on Fridays. Entry is about PKR 50, so confirm at the gate.

Tips

Photography of government buildings, checkpoints and embassies is illegal, and the Red Zone and Diplomatic Enclave are heavily guarded. Foreign-visitor tickets cost 5 to 10 times the local price. No tourist bus tour exists in Islamabad, so use a driver or a ride-hailing app.

Read more: Walking tours and Bus tours .

To book a guide, check GetYourGuide .